Don't mail checks using USPS blue collection boxes, Springfield police warn (2024)

FAQs

Is the Post Office warning about mailing checks? ›

USPS is warning the public to not mail any checks. If you must mail a check, they highly recommend you drop off your check inside the post office and use an expedited mailing service for better security. Put a hold on your mail. If you're traveling out of town, you can request a USPS Mail Hold.

Collection Box receptacles are mail receptacles (usually either blue, freestanding units, post mounted units, or chutes in a building) where customers can deposit mail. Mail drop-off points and Collection Box receptacles may also be located at or inside a Post Office® facility.

Every active USPS blue box is emptied daily. A USPS employee must scan the barcode inside the USPS drop-off location to confirm this pickup no later than 5 PM, Monday through Friday. Saturday collections vary depending on the average volume of parcels in that specific drop box.

It has long been known that BAD people sometimes steal mail - from the USPS Blue Drop boxes but also from your own mailbox. So one should always be careful what they are mailing from those pick up points.

As a result of all the fraud, banks and the USPS are warning customers to avoid mailing checks, if possible. Otherwise, use a secure mail drop inside your local post office or at your place of business, or hand your mail to the letter carrier.

The post office says if you must mail a check, avoid the mailbox and bring the envelope directly into the post office. "If you are choosing to mail a check, it is always recommended that you use a secure mail drop such as inside a post office versus an unsecured public-facing mailbox," Driscoll suggested.

In a press release, the Postal Service explained that unfortunately, the collection bins have become very attractive to thieves looking to steal identities or checks, especially at specific times and on specific days.

“In specific locations where a blue box is a repeated crime target and/or mail density is very low, collection boxes may have to be removed entirely when access is not meaningfully diminished due to nearby access points,” USPS said in a statement.

Drop Off. If your mail item weighs 13 ounces or less, and you have affixed correct postage, you can drop it into a blue collection box.

This will typically be between 9am and 3pm in urban and suburban areas on Monday to Friday, and no earlier than 7am on a Saturday. Later timed postboxes are normally located at Post Offices, our Royal Mail offices and associated with Parcel Boxes. These are typically collected from 4pm* on weekdays.

How do USPS blue boxes work? ›

There are a few limits on what you can and can't drop in the blue USPS collection mailboxes. For example, you can put any first-class or certified mail letter or card in these boxes. However, the first-class letter can't weigh more than 3.5 ounces. If you have a smaller package, you can put that in the box as well.

If any Priority Mail Express service or Priority Mail service packaging or packaging supplies e.g., Priority Mail tape to seal a USPS Ground Advantage™ package, are used on any other class of mail, the applicable Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail price will be charged. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.

Bubble mailers are versatile, and protective, and come in a range of cool options. Whether you're mailing a heartfelt letter or a fragile keepsake, there's a bubble mailer out there with your name on it. And yes, most of the time, they can go right into your mailbox!

With access to your account number and personal information, they can easily forge checks and conduct transactions in your name. While banks do their best to flag and prevent unauthorized transactions, you may still suffer significant financial loss.

Checks frequently get mailed, so many may consider this unnecessary, but it is an additional step to provided senders with peace of mind. This may seem like an obvious tip, but you should always double-check the address before sending a check.

Checks must not exceed the amount of purchase. The U.S. Postal Service does not accept checks as payment for money orders (principal amount), Sure Money service (principal amount), or gift cards. A local Post Office™ cannot accept a replacement check and cannot settle a returned check.